"Carmen" is Georges Bizet's famous opera in four acts, first performed on 3 March 1875. The libretto was based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée and was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Unfortunately, Bizet suffered an untimely death after the opera's 33rd performance, and was consequently unaware of the international success it would come to enjoy. Georges Bizet (1838 - 1875) was a French composer during the romantic era. He is most famous for his operas and his final composition, "Carmen", which remains to this day one of the most popular and commonly performed works in the entire opera repertoire. Classic Music Collection constitutes an extensive library of the most well-known and universally-enjoyed works of classical music ever composed, reproduced from authoritative editions for the enjoyment of musicians and music students the world over.